Magazine terminal



Oct. 1, 1929. L. E. VAN STEENSBURG 1,729,635

MAGAZINE TERMINAL Filed May 10, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l 06L 1929- L. E.VAN STE ENSBLJRG 1,729,635

MAGAZINE TERMINAL Filed May 10, 1928 2' Sheets-Sheet 2 I fizz/6727307Leolif Van Shams-kw? I Q7 i i w fi fizz 5 Patented Get. 1, 1929 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE LEO E. VAN STEENSBURG, OE CHARL-ESTOVI'LT,MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 AMERICAN PNEUMATIC SERVICE COMPANY, OFBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A COR- PORATION OF DELAWARE MAGAZINE Applicationfiled May 10,

This invention pertains to pneumatic despatch systems and moreparticularly to a sending or despatch terminal for use in such a system.Pneumatic despatch systems are now employed for transmittingmerchanchse, newspapers, mail, etc. over considerable distance, forexample between different buildings or departments of the sameestablishment,-between a central warehouse or manufacturing plant andout-lying distributing plant or salesrooms,or from one post oifice orrailway station to another. For proper operation of these long pneumatictubes it is essential to avoid overloading, that is to say, to preventthe despatch of carriers at too frequent intervals. On the other hand toinsure maximum efiiciency, the carriers should be fed into the tube oneafter another at the minimum permissible interval.

In accordance with the present invention I provide means forautomatically feeding carriers into the tube at the minimum intervalspermissible for proper operation, such means comprising a magazinecapable of holding a plurality of carriers in readiness for despatching.In this way I insure maximum efficiency, since carriers are sent insuccession at minimum intervals, while the constant attention necessaryfor eflicient manual feeding is avoided and the attendant is free toperform other duties in the intervals between successive replenishmentsof the magazine.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one desirable embodimentof the invention by way of example, and in the drawings Fig. 1 is afragmentary side elevation, partly broken away and partly in verticalsection, of my improved despatch apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side view showing the device in position todeliver a carrier into the despatch tube.

Referring to the drawings, numeral 1 designates a portion of thedespatch tube of a pneumatic system. This tube is shown as provided witha sending terminal structure 2 provided, if desired, with suitable airlocks, such for example as illustrated in the patent TERMINAL 1928.Serial No. 276,745.

to Stoddard No. 975,903, November 15, 1910. VVlnle this type of terminalis useful for the purpose, its detail of construction forms no essentialfeature of the present invention which is wholly concerned with meansfor feeding carriers into the terminal of the despatch tube.

As here shown the open end of the terminal 2 is provided with a flange 3having a suitable ear or boss carrying a pivot pin 4 by means of whichthe carriers support or transfer device 5 is hinged to the flange 3.

This carrier support or transfer device 5 (Fig. 2) is preferably oftrough-like form, having acylindrically curved bottom whose insideradius is substantially equal to the inside radius of the terminal 2.When the carrier support 5 is in its normal, that is to say carrierreceiving position, it is substantially horizontal, occupying thefull-line position indicated in Fig. 1. lVhen this carrier support ortransfer device 5 is raised to the inclined position 5, Fig. 1, itsinner surface is in substantially axial alignment with the inner surfaceof the terminal 2 so that a carrier C resting upon the support in thisinclined or delivery position, unless restrained, will slide down by theaction of gravity into the open end of the terminal 2.

Referring to Fig. 2, one lateral edge 5* of the trough-like carriersupport 5 is disposed (when the support is in receiving position)closely adjacent to the delivery end 6 of a carrier reservoir ormagazine which as here shown is provided with the floor 7 inclineddownward toward its delivery end 6. Preferably the carrier support 5 isprovided with a depending guard G disposed adjacent to the delivery end6 of the magazine for a purpose hereafter described. As here shown thismagazine consists merely of a chute '7 carried upon a supporting frame 7b but I contemplate that any other suitable type of magazine may beprovided and that the capacity of the magazine may be increased ordecreased to any desired extent. Furthermore, while as here shown themagazine delivers the carriers laterally into the cradle or troughlikecarrier support 5, I contemplate that the magazine may be arranged todeliver the carriers endwise into this elongate cradle or support, orthat they may be dropped vertically into the support as may be foundmost convenient under the conditions of installation.

For swinging the carrier support 5 from the horizontal to the inclinedposition I provide a fluid motor comprising a cylinder 8, here shown assubstantially vertical, closed at its lower end and resting upon a base9. This cylinder is closed at its upper end by a head and is providedwith a piston 11 having a piston rod 12 passing up through a suitableopening in the head 10. This piston rod is connected in any appropriateway to a boss on the underside of the support 5 so that as the pistonrises in the cylinder 8, the support is swung upwardly.

As here shown the cylinder 8 is furnished with an air passage 14 leadinginto the space beneath the piston 11 and this passage is connected by apipe 15 to the casing 16 of a controlling valve. A pipe 17 suppliespressure fluid to the casing 16 and the admission of the pressure fluidto the pipe 15 is controlled by a suitable valve 18 which may be of anydesired type. As here shown this valve is provided withan actuating stem19 connected to a piston, diaphragm, or other suit-able pneumaticCompressed air is supplied for actuating the pneumatic 20 through a pipe21 leading to the casing 23 of a stop valve. This casing 23 is mountedupon a bracket 24 on the carrier support 5, and the valve casing 23encloses a stop valve of any suitable type, normally closed, and havingan actuating stem 25. This stem projects upward through an opening inthe bottom of the support 5 and engages a detector finger 26 pivotallysecured at 27 to the support. This detector is normally in the elevatedposition shown in Fig. 5, but when a carrier is placed in the supportthe weight of the carrier depresses the detector 26, thus pushing thestem downwardly and opening the stop valve to permit air to flow fromthe casing 23 through the pipe 21 to the pneumatic 20. Compressed air issupplied to the casing 23 through a. flexible conduit 27 leading from atiming valve casing 28. The casing 28 is furnished with a controllingvalve of any suitable type, such valve normally being closed and havingan actuating stem 29 disposed in the path of a rotating timing cam 30driven by a constant speed motor 31. Compressed air from any suitablesource 1s delivered to the casing 28 through a pipe 32, and at eachrotation of the cam 30 the timing valve is opened for a predeterminedinterval, permitting air to flow from the casing 28 into the casing 23.

The carrier support 5 is preferably provided with a stop device 33disposed at a point adjacent to the pivot 4. This stop device is hereshown as a short lever pivoted at 34 and normally projecting up througha slot in the bottom of the support 5 so as to engage the end of acarrier C resting in the support. The stop member 33 is normally held inthis operative position by means of a latch 35 pivoted at 36 andnormally held in operative engagement with the stop by means of a spring37. An auxiliary pneumatic motor is provided for retracting the latch 35at certain times so as to make the stop 33 inoperative. As here shownthis auxiliary motor comprises a cylinder 38 supported by a bracket 39carried by the member 5, and this cylinder contains a piston 40 having apiston rod 4L1 connected in any suitable manner with the latch 35. Thespace above the piston 40 communicates by means of a pipe 42 with thespace above the piston 11 of the main motor.

The operation of the device is substantially as follows, it beingassumed that the attendant has placed a plurality of carriers C upon theinclined floor 7 of the magazine and that one of these carriers hasrolled down into the horizontally positioned carrier support or transferdevice 5, such carrier occupying the position indicated at C It is alsoassumed that the motor 31 has been set into operation, thus constantlyrotating the cam 30 and thereby opening the valve in the casing 28 atregular, uniformly timed intervals. The carrier C which rests in thesupport 5 depresses the detector 26, thus opening the stop valve in thecasing 23, and, under these conditions, at each'rotation of the cam 30compressed air is permitted to flow through the pipe 27, the casing 23and the pipe 21 to the pneumatic 20. Thus at each rotation of the cam 30the pneumatic 20 operates to open the controlling valve 18 permittingair to enter beneath the piston 11. When the air is thus admittedbeneath the piston 11, the latter begins to rise, raising the support 5to the inclined position 5 During the early part of this upward movementthe stop 33, which engages the left-hand end of the carrier C as viewedin Fig. 1, prevents the carrier from slipping endwise along the inclinedsupport 5, butduring the upward movement of the support the air abovethe piston 11 is compressed in the cylinder 8 and'fiowing through thepipe 42 causes the piston 40 to move downwardly. The parts are sodesigned that when the carrier 5 has reached its uppermost or deliveryposition the piston 40 has moved downwardly sufliciently to release-thelatch 35, so that the weight of the carrier tips the stop 33 out of theway, allowing the carrier to slide down into the terminal 2. Immediatelyafter this has occurred the continued rotation of the cam 30 cuts offthe air from the pneumatio 20, whereupon the valve 18 is restored byappropriate means, well known to those skilled in the art, to itsinitial position, cutting off air from the supply 17 and allowing theair beneath the piston 11 to exhaust. The support 5 now drops back toits normal or receiving position, being cushioned in this returnmovement by the dash pot action of the piston 11. During the upwardmovement of the support 5, the lowermost carrier C in the magazine isprevented from discharging from the magazine by means of the guarddevice '7 carried by the support, but as soon as the support returns toits normal position the first carrier within the magazine rolls downinto the support where it acts as a stop for the other carriers in themagazine. The newly arrived carrier resting in the support againdepresses the detector 26 so that as the cam 30 begins the next cycle ofrotation the stop valve in the casing 23 is open and the parts are readyfor a repetition of the above series of operations.

It is thus evident that so long as carriers are supplied to the magazinethe device will con tinue to feed carriers one by one into the terminal2 at a rate depending solely upon the rate of rotation of the cam 30.This rate of rotation may readily be fixed with reference to the minimumpermissible interval so as to avoid overloading of the pneumatic system,but at the same time the timing of the parts may be made as close asdesired so that no time may be lost. Since the magazine may be made ofany desired capacity it is possible for the attendant to load themagazine at infrequent intervals and thus to occupy a portion of histime in attending to other matters. It is also contemplated thatcarriers may be delivered to the magazine by any suitable type ofconveyor mechanism, such for example as a pneumatic tube or tubes T, abelt conveyor, a gravity conveyor or the like in which event themagazine may constitute a reservoir to receive carriers from any numberof sources and for feeding such carriers at the maximum permissiblespeed by means of the mechanism here described to the despatch terminal.

If for any reason carriers fail to deliver into the support or transferdevice 5, as for example if the magazine should becon ie clogged orempty the detector 26 will remain in its uppermost position and the stopvalve in the casing 28 will remain closed. Thus although the cam 30 maycontinue to function, no air will be delivered to the pneumatic 20 andthus the main motor will remain inoperative. ,Vaste of power and wearand tear of parts is thus avoided.

lVhile the mechanism herein disclosed is highly desirable for thepurpose and has been found of practical utility, durable, and ellicient,I contemplate that various changes therein, such for example thesubstitution of equivalents for parts here shown, rearrangement ofparts, and change in proportion of parts may be made without departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. Apparatus of the class described comprising a carrier despatch inlet,and means for automatically feeding carriers one after another atmeasured time intervals into the inlet.

2. Apparatus of the class described comprising carrier despatch tube,and means for despatching carriers one after another in orderlysuccession and atregular intervals through said tube, said despatchingmeans comprising magazine capable of holding a plurality of carriers inreadiness for despatchmg.

3. Apparatus of the class described comprising a carrier despatch inlet,a magazine for carriers, and means for transferring carriers one afteranother from the magazine into the inlet.

at. Apparatus of the class described comprising a carrier despatchinlet, a reservoir for carriers, and means receiving carriers one by onefrom the reservoir and delivering the carriers endi ise into thedespatch inlet.

5. Apparatus of the class described comprising a carrier despatch inlet,a magazine for carriers, a transfer device adapted to receive a carrierfrom the magazine and to transfer it to the inlet, and means foractuating the transfere device at regular intervals.

6. Apparatus of the class described comprising a movablecarrier-transfer device,

means for movin said transfer device, and a detector responsive to thepresence of a carrier in the transfer device for initiating operation ofthe means for moving the transfer device.

7. Apparatus of the class described comprising a movable transferdevice, a magazine arranged to deliver carriers one by one to thetransfer device, power means for moving the transfer device from carrierreceiving position to a delivery position, and a detector responsive topresence of a carrier in the transfer device for initiating operation ofthe power means.

8. Apparatus of the class described comprising a movable transferdevice, a magezine arranged to deliver carriers one by one to thetransfer device, fluid pressure means for moving the transfer device atregular intervals to and from carrier receiving position, and meanspreventing operation of the fluid pressure means in the absence of acarrier from the transfer device.

9. Apparatus of the class described comprising a movable transferdevice, a maga- Zine arranged to deliver carriers one by one to thetransfer device, fluid pressure means for moving the transfer device atregular timed intervals to and from carrier receiving position, and amovable detector on the transfer device, said detector moving fromnormal position when a carrier is delivered to the transfer device andby such movement initiating operation of the fluid pressure means.

10. Apparatus of the class described comprising a movable transferdevice, power means for moving the transfer device, timing means tocause the power means to operate at regular intervals, and meansresponsive to the weight of a carrier in the transfer device forinitiating the timed operation of the power means.

11. Apparatus of the class described comprising a movable transferdevice, a fluid motor for moving said device, a valve for controllingthe supply of pressure fluid to the motor,means for movingthe valve atuniformly timed intervals, and a detector responsive to presence of acarrier in the transfer device for initiating the timed movement of thecontrolling valve.

12. Apparatus of the class described comprising a movable transferdevice, a fluid mtor for moving the transfer device, a controlling valvefor the motor, a pneumatic for actuating the controlling valve, timingmeans for supplying pneumatic with air under pressure at regularintervals, and a detector operative in response to presence of a carrierin the transfer device for initiating the intermittent supply of air tothe pneumatic.

13. Apparatus of the class described comprising a movable transferdevice, a fluid actuated piston for moving the transfer device, a valvefor controlling the supply of pressure fluid to the piston, a pneumaticfor actuating the controlling valve, means for supplying air underpressure to the pneumatic, timing means for cutting off the air supplyfrom the pneumatic at regular intervals, a normally closed valve forshutting off said air supply from the pneumatic, and a detectorresponsive to presence of a carrier in the transfer device for openingsaid shut-off valve.

14. Apparatus of the class described comprising an inclined despatchinlet, a carrier support movable from a delivery position in substantialalignment with said inlet to a receiving position out of alignment withthe inlet, and means for moving said support from one to the other ofsaid positions at regularly timed intervals.

15. Apparatus of the class described comprising an inclined despatchinlet, acarrler support pivoted to swing from a position substantiallyin alignment with the inlet to a position out of line therewith, andmeans for moving said support.

16. Apparatus of the class described comprising an inclined despatchinlet, a carrier support hinged to swing about a substantiallyhorizontal axis from a position in alignment with the inlet to asubstantially horizontal position, means for delivering a carrier to thesupport when the latter is horizontally disposed, and means for swingingthe support.

17. Apparatus of the class described comprising an inclined despatchinlet, an elongate trough-like carrier-support mov able from asubstantially horizontal position to a delivery position in substantialalignment with the support, means for delivering a carrier to thesupport when the latter is in horizontal position, and means forpreventing movement of such carrier longitudinally of the support untilthe support reaches its delivery position.

18. Apparatus of the class described comprising an inclined despatchinlet, an elongate carrier support hinged at one end to swing about ahorizontal axis adjacent to the end of the inlet, means for moving thesupport from a receiving position to an inclined delivery positionsubstantially in alignment with the inlet, means for delivering acarrier to the support, retaining means for preventing the carrier frommoving longitudinally of the support as the latter is swung upwardlytoward delivery position, and means for making the retaining meansinoperative when the support reaches delivery position.

19. Apparatus of the class described comprising a carrier supportpivoted to swing from a substantially horizontal receiving position to adelivery position, a

taining device normally positioned to prevent a carrier, resting on thesupport, from sliding as the support is raised to inclined position, andmeans for retracting said retaining device as the support reachesdelivery position to permit the carrier to slide on of the support.

20. Apparatus of the class described comprising a carrier supportpivoted to swing from a substantially horizontal receiving position toan inclined delivery position, a stop normally projecting above thesupport to prevent a carrier, resting on the support, from sliding asthe support is raised to inclined position, means for swinging thesupport, and means for retracting the stop as the support reachesdelivery position.

21. Apparatus of the class described comprising a carrier supportpivoted to swing from a substantially horizontal receiving position to adelivery position, a stop normally positioned to prevent a carrier,

resting on the support, from sliding as the support is moved to inclinedposition, a motor for moving the support, and pneumatic means forwithdrawing the stop to p rinit the carrier to slide off when thesupport reaches delivery position.

22. Apparatus of the class described comprising a carrier supportpivoted to swing from a substantially horizontal receiving position toan inclined delivery position, a stop normally positioned to prevent acarrier, resting on the support, from sliding as the support is moved toinclined position, a main fluid-pressure motor for moving the support,and an auxiliary fluid-motor for retracting the stop, the auxiliarymotor receiving pressure fluid from the main motor and thereby operatingto retract the stop as the support reaches delivery position.

23. Apparatus of the class described comprising a carrier supportpivoted to swing from a substantially horizontal re ceiving position toa delivery position, a magazine arranged to deliver a carrier to thesupport when the latter is in horizontal position, and means to preventdischarge of carriers from the magaine when the support is raisedtodelivery position.

24. Apparatus of the class described comprising a carrier supportpivoted to swing from a substantially horizontal carrier re ceivingposition to a carrier delivery position, a magazine for carriers, saidmagazine having an inclined floor down which carriers move for deliveryto the support when the latter is horizontally disposed, and means toprevent escape of carriers from the magazine when the support is movedfrom horizontal position.

25. Apparatus oi the class described comprising a trough-like carriersupport pivoted to swing from a carrier receiving position to a deliveryposition, a magazine having an inclined floor down which carriers movefor delivery to the support when the latter is in receiving position,the support being of such dimensions that a single carrier restingtherein acts as a stop for carriers in the magazine, and a guard movingwith the support to permit discharge of carriers from the magazine whenthe support is moved to delivery position.

26. Apparatus of the class described comprising a trough-like carriersupport pivoted to swing from a carrier receiving position to a deliveryposition, a magazine having an inclined floor down which carriers movefor delivery to the support when the latter is disposed in receivingposition, the support being of such dimensions that a single carrierresting therein acts as a stop for carriers in the magazine, and a guarddepending from the carrier support and moving with the latter, saidguard extending across the delivery end of the magazine when the carrieris moved to delivery position whereby to prevent carriers from escapingfrom the magazine.

27. Apparatus of the class described comprising a trough-like carriersupport pivoted to swing from a substantially horizontal carrierreceiving position to an inclined delivery position, a magazine havingan inclined floor down which carriers move for delivery to the supportwhen the latter is horizontally disposed, the support being of suchdimensions that a single carrier resting therein acts as a stop forcarriers in the magazine, a fluid motor having a piston moving in acylinder, means connecting the piston to the support whereby to swingthe latter, means for supplying pressure fluid to the motor, a valvecontrolling the admission of pressure fluid to the motor cylinder at oneside of the piston, a pneumatic for actuating the valve, means forsupplying air under pressure to the pneumatic, a timing valve fordetermining the admission of air to the pneumatic, a power driven partmoving at uniform speed arranged to open and close the timing valve atregular intervals, a stop valve normally preventing delivery of air tothe pneumatic, a detector responsive to presence of a carrier on thesupport to open the stop valve, a stop member normally positioned toprevent a carrier on the support from sliding off as the support israised to inclined position by movement of the piston, an auxiliarypneumatic motor for retracting the stop, and means for conveying air,compressed by the motor piston as the latter lifts the support, to saidauxiliary motor whereby to retract the stop as the support reaches itsdelivery position.

Signed by me at Boston, this 8th day of May, 1928.

LEO E. VAN STEENSBURG.

Massachusetts,

